


Sunflowers and True Love

by magic_one



Series: The Experiences of Blossoms [3]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Formula 1, Formula One, Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, george just needs to figure himself out :), george really loves alex yall, kevin is mentioned but not enough to warrant a full tag, valtteri/lewis if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 18:35:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23804983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magic_one/pseuds/magic_one
Summary: George owns a flower shop with Alex and Lando. It's quite inconvenient though, that George is utterly in love with Alex.
Relationships: Alexander Albon & Lando Norris & George Russell, Alexander Albon/George Russell, Kimi Räikkönen/Sebastian Vettel, Lando Norris/Carlos Sainz Jr, Nico Hulkenberg/Kevin Magnussen
Series: The Experiences of Blossoms [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1646821
Comments: 31
Kudos: 117





	Sunflowers and True Love

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I guess I can never update this series in a timely manner :'D
> 
> I'm sO sorry that this took so long to anyone who might've been waiting for a new instalment to my Flower Shop fic!! I really wanted to get this one in a place where I was proud of it, so it just took a teeny bit more planning and time to get it in a place that I was happy with. Plus these fics just keep getting longer and longer so :'D
> 
> George is so fun to write, and I love him and Alex so much, so it was really fun to step into this universe from his point of view!! I also just had to focus more on some other pairings that I love, so Seb/Kimi and Hulk/Kevin are sprinkled in there :)
> 
> Please don't share this fic outside AO3, and know that this is completely separate from and not supposed to speculate about the people in the fic! 
> 
> As always, any comments, kudos, or feedback are super super appreciated!!
> 
> I really hope you enjoy reading this, as I had a lot of fun writing it :D

If George had to pick a flower to describe Alex it would be a sunflower.

He knew that it was painfully obvious, the sunflower was used so much that it was a well-known cliche for very happy people at this point but it just… fit. Whenever Alex smiled it was like seeing a sunflower bloom, so mesmerizing and gorgeous. It was honestly annoying, how George had to be witness to the utter ethereal joy that was Alexander Albon’s whole existence. Irritating, that every time Alex spoke, it was like the words came directly from an angel’s mouth. And most of all, bloody fucking inconvenient that George had to have fallen in love with him. 

George didn’t  _ want _ to fall in love with one of his two business partners and best friends. It wasn’t in the whole long term game plan or anything. The goal was to make use of Lando’s creative genius when it came to floral design, Alex’s almost encyclopedic knowledge of all things plant care, and his own knack for business and marketing to build a quaint, but still lucrative flower shop. It was simple, he got to work with two people he could actually stand, and he could enjoy a nice time being his own boss, choosing his own hours, and having full freedom over the business model of the whole shop.

In theory, it was perfect.

But then feelings and emotions had to go and complicate everything. 

He denied it for a long time, told himself over and over again that Alex was just a friend, that getting butterflies whenever they made even the slightest contact was perfectly normal and George had nothing to be concerned about. He ignored the constant thoughts about wanting to kiss Alex senseless that seemed to plague his brain and locked them away in a part of his mind that was too dangerous to explore. It was like his own version of Pandora’s box, so tempting to open, but he knew that disastrous things would only come if he allowed himself to think about Alex in that capacity. He just couldn’t risk it, risk their friendship, risk everything they’d built for some stupid fleeting feelings. 

George  _ really  _ tried to convince himself that they were fleeting.

It wasn’t until Lando had gotten together with Carlos that he finally broke down and painfully admitted to himself that Alex was it, the one. He kept seeing them going out on dates, spending time together, and hearing all the stories of whatever romantic gesture Carlos had performed that week. George quickly realized that everything Lando was doing with Carlos is what he wanted to do with Alex, and there was no way he could pass that off as anything but love any longer. All of that eventually led to George eating ice cream in his room at 3 am trying not to cry because he figured out that the one person he wanted was the one person he could never have.

Alex would never feel the same way, there was just no chance. 

Alex was like the brightest star in the sky, and George was just a passing piece of space rock, completely insignificant and mundane, not fit to be even close to Alex’s light. He was smart, sure, witty enough to make jokes and charming enough to make sales, but he wasn’t able to fill up a room with his personality like Alex was. Alex walked in and you could feel his presence, his warmth, his kindness. It radiated off of him at all times and was always accompanied by his signature smile, the one that made George weak in the knees. George wasn’t able to do that, he could run numbers and make sure that they had enough money to stay alive but anyone could do that. He wasn’t special. 

It hurt. A lot. 

But George wasn’t one to wallow helplessly in his own despair, so he kept going. He admired Alex from afar, took in his beauty from a safe distance. Thoughts of Alex still constantly ran through his head but they stayed there, in his head. As irrational as it was George still felt a pang of jealousy whenever he noticed a customer look Alex up and down. He wanted to shout that Alex was his, that no one but George could look at Alex that way. Except that wasn’t true, Alex wasn’t his and never would be. It pained him to be so close to Alex without being allowed to touch, to hold him in the way that he wanted to, but it was fine. 

It had to be fine. 

George sat in his office (he was the only one of the three that actually had a traditional office) and tried to force himself to focus on some paperwork that had been piling up. Anything was better than being left with his own thoughts that were unfortunately filled with Alex’s face, but filing order forms was still very boring. He resisted the urge to slam his head into a wall as a knock on his door interrupted the work he definitely wasn’t doing. 

Lando was standing in the doorway rocking back and forth on his heels, obviously very excited about something. “Mate, I know this is like way early but I’m taking my break to meet Carlos for lunch, do you mind watching the front? Nico’s coming in about 30 minutes to pick up an arrangement for Kevin that’s in my workroom, so watch out for him. Thanks and I’ll make it up to you soon!” And before George could even say anything to protest or respond, Lando was running out the door with a huge smile on his face. 

George sighed and dragged himself up to reluctantly take over what was supposed to be Lando’s job. He was partly grateful that he didn’t have to stay staring at his computer for an undetermined amount of time but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a little miffed that Lando just took off like that. They had a schedule and Lando was supposed to stay until Alex came in so he wouldn’t be alone, that’s how they worked. But George couldn’t really fault him, he knew that if Alex asked him out on a lunch date he’d be out the door in a heartbeat. 

Since it was lunchtime the store was slow, so George took to checking if any plants around the shop needed immediate attention. When he started the business with Alex and Lando, he had nowhere near the same passion that they had for their products. He usually just went straight to his office, trying to avoid getting his clothes stained with all the mess that came with working with plants. But over time as the plants grew, they also grew on him. George found that it was somehow relaxing just being alone with the greenery, and the wonderful scents that always flooded his work area was a nice addition. He didn’t have the artistic sense that Lando did or the major green thumb like Alex, but he did his part nonetheless. 

George grabbed one of the various watering cans littered around the store and went to water Steve, the Shameplant that lived behind the front desk who had become somewhat of a mascot. George absolutely adored Steve, loved seeing the leaves close in response to a touch. Lando always teased him for becoming so attached but George didn’t care, it was nice to have something akin to a pet to look after, even if it had no face or body. 

He sat down at the desk and looked over the inventory for a while when he heard the familiar chime of the bells above the door. Nico sauntered into the store, waving to George with a large smile on his face. George liked Nico, he was a bit imposing with broad shoulders and a handsome face that always seemed to hold a smirk, but he was nice. He was a regular at this point, always coming in to pick up something for his fiancee Kevin claiming that the man liked to be pampered. It was honestly pretty cute, although George hesitated to use the word cute to describe Kevin. Even though Kevin was older, he was like a little pitbull to George, all superficial anger and passive-aggressiveness. He guessed that maybe it was a front, protection of a sort and that he was much softer with his fiancee. 

“Heyo Georgey, is my order ready?” Nico said and George resisted the urge to cringe. Nico had a tendency to use nicknames for everyone he came across and while he really tried to figure out good ones for Lando and Alex, George was the only one he ever seemed to have a consistently childish one for. If Lando was there he’d be stifling a giggle and George suddenly felt very grateful to Carlos for pulling his friend away. 

“Yep! Let me just grab it from the back, another one for Kevin?” George asked and went to grab the quite extravagant arrangement that Lando had put together. 

“Yeah, it’s our anniversary soon so I wanted to get something special, and you guys are the only ones I trust to make something he would like,” Nico replied, and George noticed as the simple silver band resting on Nico’s ring finger caught the light.

What he wouldn’t give to have a matching ring with Alex, a commitment to each other, a piece of proof that they loved each other.

“Hey, uh,” George started, asking the question on his mind before he could talk himself out of it. “If you don’t mind me asking, how’d you and Kevin get together?”

Nico got a fond look in his eyes as he seemed to recall a cherished memory. “Oh,  _ that  _ story is an interesting one.” He paused and thought for a moment. “We met in university and we absolutely hated each other. To be fair I was an arrogant prick back then, but he wasn’t a saint either. We were in the same dorm building, and I remember flirting with him when we first bumped into each other. He didn’t respond well, and my pride got hurt and that ended up with us yelling at each other.” 

Nico fiddled with his ring as he continued reminiscing. “For some reason though, I always wanted his attention, it was maddening. I sought him out just to push his buttons and I didn’t know why, or maybe I was in denial. We eventually got our shit together though after I yelled ‘I love you’ at him accidentally and he pushed me against the wall and kissed me. We’ve been together ever since, and as much as we annoy each other, we love each other even more.”

Nico smiled and grabbed the arrangement from the counter. “So, a piece of advice, whoever you’re thinking of confessing to, do it. I would’ve saved myself  _ a lot _ of time if I stopped being a stubborn dick and confessed sooner.”

George felt his cheeks heat up. “What- I’m not thinking of confessing- no, no way absolutely not.”

“Whatever you say Georgey, tell Lando I say thanks!” Nico winked, and walked out the door.

Now that was just unfair.

Was it that obvious? Was his unfortunate pining that evident to everyone around him? He thought he was doing a pretty good job at hiding it, but for a customer to notice? God what if Alex knew. George didn’t think he could stand to see the smile he loved so much directed at him but laced with pity. Alex would never look at him the same, their relationship would be ruined.

It would break him. 

And George refused to be broken.

It would be fine, he just had to make a plan, stay logical. He’d repress his feelings more, it’s worked for him so far, who’s to say it wouldn’t work in the future. He’d bite his tongue when Alex inevitably found someone else, he’d be happy because Alex would be happy and that’s all that mattered. George knew that he would never marry, if it wasn’t Alex he’d have no one, Alex was it. George knew he was strong, he could bear the pain if it meant his bond with Alex wouldn’t be severed.

George took a deep breath. He just had to go about his life without the one he loved most. He had a plan, and he’d stick to it-

“Hey!”

And suddenly any plans of repression or rational thought flew out the window. 

George was fucked.

Alex strolled into the store, and the air of positivity that always followed him filled up the small building. If George allowed his imagination to run wild, he’d see Alex as a fairy. Effortlessly graceful yet still adorably clumsy ever so often, with a soft voice that could almost make plants grow just by speaking. As he walked Alex brushed his fingertips against all of the flowers he passed and if George didn’t know any better he’d say that they all perked up after being touched.

It was beautiful, Alex was beautiful. 

God George was  _ so _ fucked. 

“I heard that Lando took off on another date, sorry he keeps leaving you alone. Thought I’d come in a bit early and cover for him.” Alex smiled sympathetically and George’s heart went wild. How the hell was a human this nice allowed to walk this Earth, and how the  _ hell _ did George get lucky enough to have him as a best friend.

“It’s all good, I’m honestly just glad he’s happy. It’s been so long and Carlos is a really good fit for him. At this point I’m just waiting for the wedding,” George said and Alex laughed. George fought as hard as he could to stop his whole face from becoming red, and he could only pray that he succeeded.

“If we’re not joint best men I’m going to be so mad,” Alex replied and walked to the back to grab his apron. “Anyways, I’ll take over the front for now, you can get back to what you were working on. Didn’t you want to look into a new market out of town?”

_ Not really, _ George thought.  _ What I really want is to stay out here with you. _

“Yeah, I heard they have someone who sells really nice hyacinths, I’ve wanted to get in contact with them for a while. Thanks for coming in Alex.” George quickly retreated back to his office, scared that if he stuck around any longer something would slip out.

He didn’t see the longing look that a certain someone cast his way as he left. 

***

It was some time, and a lot of almost banging his head against his laptop later until Lando showed up again, Carlos in tow. They walked in, Carlos’s arm around Lando and George (not for the first time, and certainly not for the last) lamented his own inability to have what they had. 

Alex smiled wide, waving at them. “Hey Carlos! Lando, get back to work, you owe George a break.” 

Lando shrugged while Carlos at least had the decency to look sheepish. “I’m sorry. Lando didn’t tell me he was working a shift when he agreed to meet.”

“It’s fine, Alex was cool and came in early so it’s not like I was overworked or anything,” George said, waving Carlos’s concerns off. Carlos looked relieved and then leaned to give Lando a kiss on the forehead. Lando looked so content and loved, it was so long since he had been that happy, he deserved someone like Carlos. George chanced a quick glance at Alex who was looking at the couple with something akin to pride in his eyes. It was cute. 

Carlos eventually said his goodbyes with Lando’s reluctant protests in the background as he tried to get his boyfriend to stay. George tried to mentally prepare himself to actually get work done , instead of staring at the sunflower field that he set as his computer background and reminiscing about something that never was when he felt someone grab his wrist. 

Lando was smiling apologetically at him, “take the rest of the day off, sorry for running out on you.” 

George was so grateful to Lando at that moment, all previous abandonment forgotten. That was exactly what he needed, a break, a chance to get out and try to sort out his own feelings. “Thanks mate, Carlos is really softening you out isn’t he?” George teased.

Lando rolled his eyes, “yeah yeah, just be grateful that I didn’t completely leave you and go back to his house.” He smirked, “the things we’d get up to.”

“And there’s my cue to leave! I do  _ not _ need to listen to you talking about your sex life.” George said while grabbing his coat and laptop. He walked out of the door to the sound of Lando laughing then abruptly stopping when Alex hit him upside the head. 

George felt the cool air hit his face and immediately made a beeline down the street to the bookstore a couple of blocks away, owned by Seb and Kimi. The bookstore was where he went to destress when the world got too much for him, when his mind refused to leave him alone. It was by far the best place to unwind that he knew of. 

George pushed open the door and immediately felt a wave of calm wash over him. He took a deep breath, listening to the classical music that always played inside the store and let himself relax. The comfortable sofas mixed with Seb’s insistence that he could stay and read anything he wanted to was the perfect combination to get his brain to stop thinking about whatever was going on in his life.

Seb noticed him come in and waved him over with a grin. “Good afternoon George! How are you doing today?”

George shrugged off his coat and walked over to greet Seb, “I’m alright thanks, you?”

“I’m doing as well as I always am.” Seb smiled and reached behind the desk, pulling out a small book that was labeled with George’s name. “I bet you’re looking for this, go unwind for a bit.”

It started when they first opened the flower shop. George thought it was a good idea to build a relationship with all of the small businesses on their street, creating a support network of sorts. Seb and Kimi were always so kind to the three, often checking in on them, and offering advice when needed. They even let George (technically Alex and Lando as well, but George was the only one that took advantage of the offer), come in whenever he wanted to read whatever books he wanted. Seb always insisted that he could take them home as long as the books were returned but George always declined. He claimed that it was because he felt bad for not paying, but in reality it was because he wanted an excuse to visit the store as much as possible.

George gratefully took the book and went to the back of the store, or the designated cozy corner as Seb liked to call it. He sat down and curled up on the couch, staring at the couple on the cover of the book he was in the middle of reading. He tried not to picture them as himself and Alex. He failed. 

Shaking off the thoughts of Alex, George allowed himself to get lost in a world that wasn’t his own. To get swept up in a whirlwind of romance that was so unlike his reality that it was almost funny. He lost track of time, but that was the nice thing about the bookstore. It felt like it existed outside of the universe, that nothing could come in and bother him while he was surrounded by the atmosphere that was unique to the place that Seb and Kimi had built. He didn’t hear any customers that may have come in, he didn’t hear any chatting, and he definitely didn’t hear footsteps that, after a while of reading, were slowly making their way towards him. 

“You look like you need this,” George heard a voice say and he almost jumped a meter into the air. Kimi was standing in front of him, two mugs of coffee in hand. He sat down across from George and placed the coffee on the table between them.

“Oh uh, thank you.” George never really drank coffee past noon, but he didn’t want to be rude so he took the mug anyway. He looked up at Kimi, the man’s face unreadable as always. He liked Kimi, he really did, but the older man scared him a little. He was quite intimidating and had a presence that suggested that he would not take anyone’s shit. While George could absolutely respect that, it didn’t mean that his whole aura wasn’t just the littlest bit terrifying. 

“It’s not worth sulking about you know. The person you like.” Kimi stated quite abruptly. His eyes seemed to be staring into George’s soul and George suddenly wondered if he was a mind reader. How else would Kimi know that he was battling his feelings for Alex? Honestly, with everything he knew about the man, it wouldn’t be that surprising.

“Wh- How’d you know?” George asked with wide eyes. 

Kimi smirked, or at least George thought he caught a very small smirk, it was always hard to tell with Kimi. “Whenever you’ve come in, you’ve only picked out depressing romance novels. You’re not being that subtle kid.” 

Oh.

So no mind reading, George was just apparently as obvious as he feared. First Nico, now Kimi, it was a really solid day for having people call him out on his feelings. 

He stared at the ground, refusing to make eye contact. “That um, that makes sense.”

Kimi’s ghost of a smirk softened into a barely visible smile. “You have to stop hiding. You’re going to keep feeling like shit if you don’t tell whoever it is how you feel. I am not an expert, but I do know it’s not worth the hurt.” 

He said it like the concept was so simple. Kimi wouldn’t understand the gap between his and Alex’s worth, the impossibility of what he was casually suggesting. 

“Easier said than done,” George scoffed. “Plus, I know he’ll never feel the same. Anything bad I'm feeling right now will be ten times worse when I inevitably get rejected. You say it’s not worth the hurt, I say it’s not worth the heartbreak.”

“It sounds like you’re robbing him of a chance to speak for himself,” Seb walked over, resting his hand on Kimi’s shoulder. “You’re assuming that you know what’s going on inside his head but you don’t. You’re a great person George. Saying that you know he won’t feel the same is an insult to all the good in you.”

Kimi nodded, “you’re a good kid, all three of you. Don’t sell yourself short.” 

“From two people who spent much too long sitting on the same kind of feelings, things will turn out better than you think,” Seb said, pulling George into a hug. George felt a bit shocked. Even if it was simple advice, it felt different coming from Seb and Kimi. George unconsciously looked up to them, their marriage, their business, they basically modelled everything George hoped to achieve in the future. In all the times he had stopped by the store to read, George couldn’t count the number of times that Seb and Kimi had checked on him, offered new book suggestions, even just stopping by for a chat (although that one was more Seb). 

George hugged Seb back, unable to say anything other than some muffled thanks as he buried his head in Seb’s shoulder. After so much time telling himself that he wasn’t enough, it was nice to hear from people he trusted that he was. He felt Kimi pat him on the back as he detached himself from Seb. He checked the time and after realizing he had been there for a couple of hours, he figured it was time to go home. He returned the book he had almost finished and waved goodbye to the couple. 

George was just about to leave when he heard Kimi call out to him. “I hope you and Alex will be very happy.”

Okay so he was back on the mind-reading theory. 

George blushed and quickly ran out of the door, with a smirking Kimi and a very amused Seb behind him. He allowed himself to contemplate, maybe even consider taking the advice he had been given on the bus ride back to his flat. George had spent so much time completely convinced of the fact that he would never confess to Alex, never reveal the feelings that he was so sure would lead to disaster. But if Seb and Kimi believed it would work, two people he knew had their life together, who says that it wouldn’t.

George got back to the flat, strangely optimistic about his situation for the first time. He decided to be nice and cook dinner for Lando and Alex, and flitted about the kitchen, grabbing ingredients for pizza and playing some stupid pop music through his phone. He danced around the kitchen, fairly free of internal conflict for the first time in a long time, and by the time Lando and Alex had come home, there were three individual pizzas set out at the table. 

He was lost in his own little world, not hearing the door open or seeing the surprised looks on his roommates' faces as he moved around the kitchen to the beat. While George absolutely had a sense of humour and could crack jokes, there was always an underlying barrier between him and the rest of the world that never seemed to come down. Alex and Lando had both caught glimpses of the pieces of George that he always hid but they were few and far between, this kind of thing was almost unheard of. 

“Oi mate, you gonna ditch us and go join the ballet or something?” Lando laughed as George snapped out of whatever pizza induced trance he was in and whirled around to see his roommates.

George blushed and awkwardly chuckled. “Nah, the dance world isn’t ready for my brilliance.” 

Alex laughed as well and was looking at George with a fond smile on his face. George’s gaze shifted to everything but Alex because he knew if he kept looking at that beautiful smile he’d confess everything then and there, and lord knew he wasn’t ready for that.

Alex sat down and grabbed a slice of pizza, humming contentedly after he tasted it. “Forget ballet, maybe being a chef is your true calling. Why don’t you cook more often, this is great!”

“Maybe I’ll make a habit of it, just felt like doing something nice today,” George shrugged, knowing that if his cooking made Alex smile he’d be willing to do it a lot more. 

They sat and chatted over dinner, a rare occurrence as they were usually off doing their own thing when the shop closed up. Lando recalled a story of Lewis waltzing into the shop not long after George had left for the bookstore. Apparently he was moaning about some Finnish guy that had wandered in for some food, and Lewis needed the perfect flower to give to him the next time he came in. Lando looked so exasperated as he told George how he walked Lewis around the whole store only for him to settle on the first flower that Lando had suggested. They were all laughing by the end of it, and George remembered how much he really did love his roommates, whether romantically or not. They had the ability to make George feel normal, no matter how conflicting and embarrassing his day might’ve been. 

After dinner, George was sitting next to Lando on the couch, scrolling Instagram on his phone while Lando played some racing game. He was getting more and more into racing as he spent more time with Carlos, a knock-on effect George guessed. He wasn’t really paying attention to anything in his feed, or the soft engine noises that were coming from their television, he was having an internal conflict. Alex had gone to bed much earlier than usual, claiming a headache, which unsurprisingly gave George more time to battle his own feelings. He really tried to think about other things, but it was hard when that whole day had basically been a queue of people lining up to tell him that his pining was very noticeable.

They all seemed to have the same opinion though, tell Alex the truth. But it was more complicated than that. 

George didn’t know how to change the way he had been thinking for so long. He didn’t know how to fathom the notion that he could actually be with Alex. He still seriously doubted that Alex even felt the same way. George looked over at Lando, it had been so easy with him and Carlos. It was helpful that they didn’t have the same history, the same amount of years spent purely platonic even though George wished for something more. But, Seb had said that he was worth it, that he had a chance. Kimi had encouraged him, fully knowing that it was Alex he was worried about. 

Maybe, just maybe, things would work out.

George leaned his head back on the couch with a sigh. Everything was more complicated now that he started to have a little bit of hope. 

George felt someone poke his shoulder repeatedly. Lando was looking at him with what looked like a completely neutral expression, but anyone who knew Lando well enough would see the underlying concern painted clearly across his face. 

“You okay mate? You look kinda spaced out and, I don’t know, frustrated?” Lando asked. 

“Yeah yeah, I’m fine don’t worry,” George said, wringing his hands together. He shot Lando a smile he hoped was reassuring, and while Lando didn’t look convinced he tentatively went back to his game. 

George debated with himself, he knew he could trust Lando, his advice was usually helpful. Plus he’d been figured out by three people already, what was one more?

Fuck it. 

“Hey uh, actually there is one thing I wanted to talk to you about,” George started. Lando turned to him, cocking his head to one side as to ask him what was up. 

George fiddled with the tassels on the nearby blanket. “So, there’s this guy-”

“Oh so we’re finally talking about your crush on Alex,” Lando interrupted. 

Okay seriously. What the fuck. 

George stared at Lando incredulously. It was getting almost uncanny how everyone seemed to know about his crush before he told them. “Am I that obvious?” George almost shouted before remembering that Alex was asleep, so he settled on an aggressive whisper. 

“Mate you seem to forget that I  _ live with you two _ . I am the prime witness to your mutual fucking pining that never seems to go anywhere. You look at each other in a way that makes me feel like the third wheel when you haven’t even gotten together yet.” Lando said with a slightly exasperated tone like he had been holding it in for a long time. 

“Still!. I thought I was at least alright at hiding-” George took a moment to fully process what Lando had said. Did he say mutual pining?

“Did you say mutual pining?”

Lando stood up and then promptly collapsed back onto the sofa in a dramatic fashion. “Are you kidding me? Are you actually kidding me?  _ Did I say mutual pining?  _ Of course I said mutual pining! if anything Alex is probably more obvious than you!”

Lando rolled his eyes and flicked George in the head. “Is there a brain that can do anything but finances up there? Do you actually mean to tell me that you’ve not seen the way he looks at you? The way that his whole face lights up when you walk in the room? It’s laughable really, how you two aren’t dating by now.”

George was speechless. “I- I don’t know, I just- I didn’t think-”

“Didn't think what?” Lando cut in. “Didn’t think he’d feel the same? Mate, he’s literally head over heels for you. I hate to admit it since you guys are my best friends and I think if I saw you kiss I’d throw up, but you’re perfect for each other. You balance each other out, complement each other. At this point, I’m just counting down the days until I have to move out because there is no part of me that wants to come home to you two making out.” 

“No, I mean yes but I just didn’t think… I don’t know, I didn’t think I was a good match for him or something.” George managed to get out. He was processing so much. 

“Besides me and Carlos I think you two would be the most perfect couple I know, so I don’t want to hear any of this ‘I’m not good enough’ nonsense. If you can shut me down when I was thinking like that you better believe I’m repaying the favour.” Lando said, crossing his arms. 

Lando’s eyes softened as he saw that George was clearly struggling with accepting the fact that Alex had apparently felt the same this whole time. “Look, just do something nice for him and tell the truth, I guarantee he’ll reciprocate. If he doesn’t? Well I’ll eat my sock or something because I don’t think I’ve ever been so sure of anything in my life. You’re an amazing person George, you support me at every opportunity, you took a wild idea Alex and I had and made it an actual successful business, and you deserve to have a happy ending.”

“I think that was the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. I guess I wasn’t wrong when I said Carlos was softening you up,” George teased, but his eyes were misty and the jokes were clearly a way of expressing his gratitude for Lando without actually saying it. 

Lando rolled his eyes, “you know a thank you would have been nice.”

“Fine then, thank you,” George muttered as he leaned in to give Lando a hug. The people in George’s life that were important to him had confidence that this was the right thing to do. All that was left was to prove them right. 

***

It was tough figuring out what to do for Alex, Lando had kind of set the bar pretty high confessions wise so George wanted to do something different. Still just as meaningful but not quite as extravagant. George found a certain beauty in the small moments, the quiet times and the in-betweens. So, he scoured his brain for an understated idea, one that would reflect the subtle but still immensely important way he had grown to love Alex. 

It came to him several days after his chat with Lando, popped into his mind while staring at a pale pink rose. He formulated a plan, not his first plan when it came to Alex but certainly the first one that ended with the possibility of joy. 

Like any good plan, it took time to prepare. 

George had a mission to make it the most perfect confession he could and that wouldn’t happen if he rushed. He’d waited so long, what were a couple of weeks more. 

He spent his breaks and days off wandering the city, searching for soft red blankets and the most delicious cheeses. It felt awfully domestic, the simple acts he was performing for the one he loved. George imagined walking the street hand in hand with Alex, their arms swinging and Alex getting excited as they passed the pet store. He would run up to the glass like he always did, and peer inside, searching for any new rescue kittens they may have picked up. George would lightly remind him that they had no room or time to take care of a small cat, and Alex would pout but everything would be solved with a quick kiss. 

George allowed himself to fantasize about what daily life could be, the parts of his mind he usually shut off flooded his brain and he didn’t shy away. He embraced it, only feeling anticipation, even hope, instead of the usual sad acceptance. 

Everything was going to turn out fine. 

A couple of weeks later George was ready. 

It was the first Friday of the month, the day they always closed the store to get a small break. The sun was shining and it was quite warm, almost like the universe was giving George a go-ahead, its support. He woke up nervous beyond belief but determined more than anything else. He checked in with Lando and made sure everything was ready to go and that he was ready to play his part. Lando wasn’t the greatest actor in the world but to his credit, he managed not to be too suspicious and swiftly whisked Alex away for lunch so that George could leap into action. 

Their building had a unique feature, a rooftop garden that housed a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and a few of Alex’s favourite flowers. When they first moved in, the garden was decrepit, utterly abandoned and overgrown. But as a labour of love, Alex decided to restore it over many, many months. He worked tirelessly to make it a beautiful place once more, tending to the seeds, cleaning the various benches, and adding cute decorations all over. George helped out as much as he could, and it was inspiring to see Alex’s passion for the project, his desire to make it a place where people could enjoy themselves and be happy. George knew for a fact that it was Alex’s favourite place in the city, a testament to his own hard work and dedication, and so he immediately decided that it was the perfect place for his plan.

George wrote out a quick note to leave on the kitchen table, grabbed the various things from his room and the fridge, and took the elevator all the way to the top floor. The garden was often empty during lunchtime on a weekday, so George was hoping he’d have it all to himself. He swung open the door to find just that and smiled to himself, this was it, it was really happening. 

A while later the door to the roof swung open once more. In the doorframe stood Alex, looking down at the note like the lines of text with his eyebrows furrowed together. 

“Hey so you know if you wanted me to meet you here you could’ve just texted or someth-” Alex’s eyes widened as he took in the scene in front of him. “What’s all this?”

And there George stood, next to a blanket spread out and covered with a whole spread of delicious looking pastries and snacks that looked like way too much food for 2 people. George might have stressed baked a bit. He created a mini picnic, a secluded spot for just the two of them. George stopped picking at his fingernail to gesture for Alex to come closer. A small movement, like he was afraid if he made any sudden moves he’d scare Alex away. 

“So uh,” George started, his voice betraying a slight waver. “I wanted to do something special for you, for everything that you do for me, Lando, and just to show my appreciation I guess.” George’s mind went blank as Alex approached. He had a whole script prepared, but as soon as the door opened he completely lost any ability to recall the words

Alex took a seat on the blanket and George followed suit, trying desperately to control his heart hammering in his chest. 

“George! You didn’t have to do all of this for me, this is all way too much!” Alex exclaimed. However, he did notice a bowl of chocolate-covered strawberries and after looking at George to make sure it was okay, quickly ate one.

“Mmmm, my favourite.” Alex hummed, his eyes shining and George tried to remember what he was going to say. This wasn’t the plan, this wasn’t what was supposed to happen, he was supposed to be ready.

“Now, as much as I’m absolutely flattered that you would do all of this for me, what’s up? I haven’t been able to ask you this, I guess there wasn’t a good time, but lately, it’s almost like you’re lost in your own little world. And this whole thing out of the blue? Just seems a little odd. You know you can talk to me about anything right?” Alex said, resting his hand on George’s shoulder. The small comfort was enough for George to regain control of his brain and surroundings. 

George took a deep breath and steeled himself. He wouldn’t get a better chance than this, he had to go for it, script or not.

“There is something I want to talk to you about actually,” George said. Alex smiled slightly, an invitation for George to go on. It was going to be fine.

“So I’m not exactly sure how to put this and I completely forgot anything I was going to say the minute you showed up but Alex, you mean more to me than anyone else in my life. You’ve meant so much to me over countless years and I spent so much of my life admiring you from afar even though we’ve been so close. You amazed me, your capacity for good was incredible and I loved to see all the joy you imparted onto the universe. But somewhere along the line, I fell in love with you.”

There it was.

George looked up to see Alex’s eyes the size of saucers and his lips forming a small ‘o’ yet he kept going. He couldn’t stop now if he tried.

“I fell hard, landed on my back and was only able to look up at you. I didn’t think of myself in the best light, and so I convinced myself that I wasn’t worthy of you, that I never had a chance. You were, and still are just so radiant, your light shines brighter than the sun and I thought of myself as a shadow. Insignificant, unnoticed. This is no fault of yours, but mine for failing to realize that I couldn’t love you in the way that I wanted to, and the way that you deserved, if I didn't at least like myself. To be honest, I still don’t actually know if I actually have a chance, if this is a smart thing to do and I won’t just be ruining our bond which is the one thing I treasure most of all. All I know is that thanks to some advice and some hard reality checks, I’m actually starting to like the person I am, and who I can become, and I want you by my side so badly on this journey or whatever you want to call it. I want to hold your hand, I want to make you laugh, I want to treat you to all of the great things you deserve, I want to kiss you  _ so fucking bad  _ that I just couldn’t deal with holding it in any longer.” 

George reached behind a chair he had set up to hide a single flower. A sunflower, full and beautiful.

He held it out to Alex with both hands, an effort to stop himself from shaking. He met Alex’s eyes and sucked in a quick breath.

“I love you Alexander Albon, I’ve loved you for a long, long time, and I want- no I  _ need  _ to ask you this question. Will you be mine?”

Alex didn’t react, and for a second George’s heart dropped. He was right all along, Alex didn’t love him and he just clearly messed everything up-

But then Alex  _ did  _ react.

He leapt forward, and George had no time to react before their lips met and suddenly they were kissing, and Alex cupped George’s cheek and it was  _ perfect. _ Alex’s lips were so soft, and his hands that were now threading through George’s hair felt so good, and all he could think of was that it felt right. They fit together so well, and George made a quick mental note to punch himself for not doing this sooner, he had missed out on so much  _ right _ . 

“I’m gonna take that as a yes?” George murmured when they broke apart.

Alex just laughed and George broke into a huge grin. 

“Of course, yes, absolutely, definitely and all the other ways someone can say yes!” Alex breathed, smiling like a madman and definitely high on some sort of euphoria. 

“I never thought- I felt the same for so long and I just thought you were so out of reach, so successful, so put together and here I was, a glorified gardener that was a mess behind the scenes, but now I’m kicking myself because how could I have waited so long.”

Alex kissed him quickly.

“To do.”

Alex kissed him again.

“This.”

George smiled, the happiest he had felt in a long time. “Well then we’ll just have to make up for lost time won’t we?”

They sat together on top of that roof, amidst the garden for some time, yet nothing felt like enough. They no longer had to yearn, they could instead just have and it was brilliant. A lone sunflower laid in the background, witness to the birth of a moment that took far too long to happen, yet maybe the length is what made it so special. After so long, they no longer had to wait, to wonder, they could just be with each other. 

Alex picked up the sunflower, gently held it close to his chest, and let his head fall on to George’s shoulder. He smiled. George smiled back.

And it was beautiful. 

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly don't know where I want to go next with this universe, maybe a short little look at Seb and Kimi's life :D
> 
> I really hope you liked it, and again any kudos, comments, or feedback, or even suggestions for this universe if you have them are always welcome and appreciated!!!
> 
> You can also talk to me over on Tumblr @nxrrislandx if you'd like ^^ I'm always down for a DM or ask!!


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